An educated public is the strongest form of advocacy, and research is key to demonstrating that sports and physical activity lead to healthier, happier and more productive lives. The Women’s Sports Foundation has a rich history of conducting important research and has made a long-term commitment to a series of signature reports addressing such topics as girls’ participation in sports and physical activity, gender equity in intercollegiate sports, the impact of media images of women in sports, and pay equity.
Recent Research and Policy Institute publications include:
Go Out and Play: Youth Sports in America
An exhaustive study of children’s participation in sports and exercise, "Go Out and Play: Youth Sports in America" is the first to document the benefit of sports to the wellness of families. The Women's Sports Foundation partnered with Harris Interactive to survey 2,185 third- through 12th-graders and 863 parents in this unprecedented investigation of the numbers of children playing, types of sports being played, the demographic profiles of today’s child athletes and the role of family and community in shaping kids’ physical activity. Although the report finds children’s play linked to healthier children and more content families, many parents, especially African-Americans and Hispanics, reported that schools are shortchanging their daughters. The first study to examine sports among children from immigrant families and children with disabilities, "Go Out and Play" reports these subpopulations are in greater jeopardy of being shut out of sports. The most at-risk group — urban girls — receive far fewer opportunities to play.
Who's Playing College Sports: Money, Race and Gender
Money, Race and Gender, the most accurate description of college sports’ participation patterns to date, shows that both men’s and women’s sports participation have increased over the past 25 years. It examines factors, including Title IX and athletic expenditure growth, impacting today's college sports participation trends, which vary widely by sport. Changes in high school sports participation, rising health care costs, increased numbers of international students, and college recruitment are explored, as well as the implication of these participation trends on college sports’ diversity.
Who’s Playing College Sports? (part 1) -- June 23, 2007, marked the 35th anniversary of Title IX -- the pivotal legislation credited with increasing gender equity in sports. In addition to celebrating, the Foundation is unveiling original research, entitled "Who's Playing College Sports." This study provides the most accurate and comprehensive examination of participation trends to date. Read more about the study or browse our online database to find out if your college makes the grade.
Physical Activity and Athletic Competition for Individuals with Disabilities: A Women's Sports Foundation Position Statement: Do schools have an obligation to provide physical education for students with disabilities? Do students with disabilities have the right to compete on their high school sports teams? Read the Foundation's position statement on the rights of individuals with disabilities in physical activity and athletics.
Her Life Depends On It: the most comprehensive compilation of research to date about the impact of physical activity on the physical, psychological and cultural health of girls. The report points to physical activity and sport as fundamental solutions for many of the serious health and social problems faced by girls. These include obesity, heart disease, substance abuse, teen pregnancy and depression – which accounts for much of the more than $1 trillion spent on healthcare for treating these issues.
Women in the 2006 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games: Increasing women’s participation in the Olympic Movement as participants and leaders has been a slow and challenging process. While the number of ”events” open to female athletes has increased steadily during the past 30 years, the actual number of opportunities for females to medal within those events has yet to equal the number of male participants or medals.
Women in Intercollegiate Sport A Longitudinal, National Study Thirty One Year Update: 1977-2008
Prepared by Linda Jean Carpenter, Ph.D., J.D., Professor Emerita, Brooklyn College, and R. Vivian Acosta, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, Brooklyn College, this study is perhaps the most comprehensive in American women's sports history. New findings reveal highest numbers of participation ever, contrasted with low representation of women in sports information and physical training positions.
Upcoming Research: Go Out and Play: Sport and American Families, which will be published this summer, reveals how intersections among sport, family, school characteristics and wider social forces are shaping the lives of children.